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2002-04-04 with regional Boards City of Beverly, Massachusetts Public Meeting Minutes Board: Board of Health Subcommittee : Regional Boards of Health Group Meeting Date: April 4, 2002 Place: Beverly Council on Aging Board members present: Frank Carbone, Jr., MD, Joseph W. Walsh, Jr., and Peter A. Hersee Board members absent: Others present: William Burke, Director of Public Health and Thomas Scully, Director of Community Services Recorder: Judith Balboni The Beverly and Salem Boards of Health held a meeting in March to discuss smoking regulations in restaurants and bars and the possibility of regional collaboration. Beverly wants to go from a partial restaurant smoking ban to a full ban that may also cover bars and private clubs. At that meeting, it was decided to have another meeting inviting more communities to discuss regulations, create a more ‘level playing field’ and implement a public health policy. This is the second meeting with seven communities attending. Chairman Carbone from the Beverly Board of Health opened the meeting at 7 pm. He welcomed board members from surrounding communities of Salem, Danvers, Ipswich, Manchester, Marblehead, Saugus and Swampscott to the meeting, also, representatives from the Tobacco Control Collaborative and Mr. D.J. Wilson, Attorney, Mass. Municipal Assoc. Mr. Wilson will offer information on ‘Clean Air Works’. D.J. Wilson spoke of an existing workgroup in the Boston-Cambridge area including 12 other bordering communities who are working on this same effort. The group is called ‘Clean Air Works’ and their goal is for all worksites to be smoke-free. This is based on the Mike Cahill Bill which was presented to the state legislature last year. Their feeling is to move forward in a unified fashion and have a policy in place by Oct. 2002. Chairman Carbone explained to visitors that Beverly is very anxious to go from partial ban to a 100 percent ban that may also cover bars and private clubs. A public hearing will be held in near future. Beverly members feel that a regional approach would assist them in the implementation of doing such and give a ‘level playing field’ to all while protecting the public health. Each community was asked to explain their situation and what they each had for regulations at this time. Marblehead Board members went 100 percent in 2000 and they took a lot of flak from opposition but since Salem now has ban, it has eliminated some protesting. Marblehead is very happy with their situation. Saugus has been partially smoke-free in restaurants sine 1994 and they are ready now to go 100%. They were concerned at first with a level playing field since bordering Peabody had no regulation on smoking. Ipswich and Manchester health officials favor a ban but nothing has been drafted to date. Workplaces may be considered first. Gloucester is in the process of drafting regulations and hope to be smoke-free next year. Swampscott has a ban for restaurant and bars. Danvers has partial ban, allowing restaurants to provide a ‘smoking section’. It will be going into effect this July. Salem went 100% in restaurants and is ready to include bars and private clubs. Most members are in favor of a regional ban but each community has been going at their own pace and the time frame for doing it together varies. We at the Beverly Health Department would like to get together with even more communities that were unable to attend the previous meeting. A time has been set for June 6, 2002 Respectfully submitted,